Economic Sophisms/205

<pagequality level="3" user="Zoeannl" />style="background: #ececec; text-align: left; padding-left: 0.5em; font-weight: bold;" class="table-rh"Here I ceased to listen to the two interlocutors. It turned
out, however, that Jacques Bonhomme was entirely converted;
for some days afterwards, the Report of M. Vuitry having made
its appearance, Jacques wrote the following letter to that
honourable legislator:—

"MONSIEUR,—Although I am not ignorant of the extreme
discredit into which one falls by making oneself the advocate of
an absolute theory, I think it my duty not to abandon the cause
of a uniform rate of postage, reduced to simple remuneration for the service actually rendered.

"My addressing myself to you will no doubt be regarded as a
good joke. On the one side appears a heated brain, a
closet-reformer, who talks of overturning an entire system all at once
and without any gradual transition; a dreamer, who has never,
perhaps, cast his eye on that mass of laws, ordinances, tables,
schedules, and statistical details which accompany your report,—in
a word, a theorist. On the other appears a grave, prudent,
moderate-minded legislator, who has weighed, compared, and
shown due respect for the various interests involved, who has
rejected all systems, or, which comes to the same thing, has
constructed a system of his own, borrowed from all the others.
The issue of such a struggle cannot be doubtful.

"Nevertheless, as long as the question is pending, every one
has a right to state his opinions. I know that mine are
sufficiently decided to expose me to ridicule. All I can expect
from the reader of this letter is not to throw ridicule away (if,
indeed, there be room for ridicule), before, in place of after,
having heard my reasons.

"For I, too, can appeal to experience. A great people has made
the experiment. What has been the result? We cannot deny
that that people is knowing in such matters, and that its opinion
is entitled to weight.

"Very well, there is not a man in England whose voice is not
in favour of postal reform. Witness the subscription which has
been opened for a testimonial to Mr Rowland Hill. Witness
the manner in which John Bull testifies his gratitude. WitnessTemplate:Smallrefs